


The Picture Of Charlie Eppes

by telperion_15



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Gen, Supernatural Elements, Triple Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-23
Updated: 2010-06-23
Packaged: 2017-10-10 06:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/96409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telperion_15/pseuds/telperion_15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie has discovered the secret to eternal youth...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Picture Of Charlie Eppes

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for numb3rs100 on LiveJournal - prompt #139 Portrait.
> 
> Inspiration obviously taken from 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde.

“Charlie, are you secretly drinking the elixir of life or something?”  


  


Don looked critically at his younger brother, to whom, despite the passing of the years, the word _younger_ still very much applied. His hair was still as black and his face still as youthful as it had been twenty years ago. And heaven knew he still had as much energy as someone twenty years younger.

  


  


Don himself had started going grey a decade ago, and there were considerably more lines on his face than there had been. Charlie had told him repeatedly that these things made him look distinguished. Don just thought they made him look old.

  


  


Charlie smiled enigmatically. “I was wondering when you’d start to notice,” he said. “Come with me – I’ve got something to show you.”

  


  


Leading Don upstairs to the tiny box room at the back of the house, Charlie proceeded to drag out what looked like a framed picture swathed in cloth. Disposing of the covering, he held up the picture so Don could see it.

  


  


It was a portrait of Charlie. But Charlie as he _should_ have looked now. The hair had grey streaks in it, and there were crow’s feet and other lines on the face.

  


  


“But how does it work?” asked Don incredulously.

  


  


“Math,” replied Charlie, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  


  


“What?”

  


  


“Math,” repeated Charlie. “Substitution algorithm, to be more specific. The picture gets older instead of me.”

  


  


Don rubbed his eyes and then looked at the portrait again. It hadn’t changed. “Why do I feel like I’m living in a Victorian novel?” he muttered rhetorically.

  


  


“I can get the artist to paint you, if you like,” said Charlie.

  


Don ran a hand through his greying hair.  "I think it's a bit late for me."


End file.
